Only Look At Me
by Gloomy Bear
Summary: "You look better with your glasses on, Sakura." It was a complete lie. All he wanted was for him to be the only one to see her true self, and for her to look at him the way he looks at her.
1. Chapter I: Lie

**- **Disclaimer -

CCS belongs to CLAMP. The title of this story is not related to anything outside of this story.

- Summary -

"You look better with your glasses on, Sakura." It was a complete lie. All he wanted was for him to be the only one to see her true self, and for her to look at him the way he looks at her. All she wanted was to be noticed by him. When the circumstances change, will their feelings and relationship also change?

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**Only Look At Me**

Chapter I: Lie

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They sat side by side, leaning against a large oak tree. It was their spot; the place they met every lunch break.

He leaned towards her.

"You look better with your glasses on, Sakura."

The moment those words left his lips, he regretted them. But before he could say anything else, the bell rang, signaling the end of their lunch break.

"O-okay." With a nervous expression spread across her face, she packed up her lunch box.

Regretful with what he just said, he quickly stood up, mumbled, "I'll see you after school," and strode back towards their school.

He barely heard her timidly reply, "See you later, Syaoran."

All the way back to school and all through his class, he couldn't help but feel regret about what he had said to her and her reaction to it. He knew what he had said was a complete lie; heck, anyone who saw without those concealing glasses would call him a big fat liar. He kept trying to settle this feeling of uneasiness in his chest by telling himself that 'it was for the best'.

Casting a glance at her from the corner of his eyes, he couldn't believe how quickly time has passed since he first met her when he saved her from those bullies back in third grade.

"_Haha! Four-eyes! Four-eyes!" chanted three little boys as they danced around her, mimicking the shape of glasses with their hands._

"_Stop it!" cried little Sakura as she tried to escape from their circle. __The leader of the three then yanked her glasses from her face and waved them above her reach._

"_Give them back!" she shouted, on the verge of tears as she tried to reach for them. __He roughly pushed her aside and she fell on her bottom. Tears flooded down her cheeks._

_ The bully continued to taunt, "What are you gonna do? Cry for your mommy?"_

"_HEY!"_

_ The bullies turned around to see the new kid._

"_Give her glasses back!" demanded little Syaoran._

_ Having heard rumours that the new kid was somewhat skilled in martial arts and that he had wrestled with a bear back in China, they all opted to drop Sakura's glasses and run in the opposite direction._

_ Picking up her glasses and cleaning the dirt off of them with the hem of his shirt, he handed them back to Sakura. Sniffling, she wiped away the remainder of her tears and looked up at her saviour. _

"_Th-thanks," she whispered as she took her glasses from his hands and slipped them on. _

_ He helped her back up, and asked if he could play with her. From that day on, they were the closest of friends._

It has been almost ten years since they became friends. _Right, just friends._ Somewhere along the way of their friendship, he had started wanting to be more than just a good friend to her.

"Syaoran?" her voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hmm?" He turned his head towards her.

"You've been staring off into space for a while now. Is there anything bothering you?" Her emerald-green eyes looked at him inquisitively.

He shook his head.

A breeze drifted by, pulling with it some leaves off of the tree they were currently sitting beneath.

"Oh!" she squeaked in surprise. A leaf had landed right between the frames of her glasses and side-swept bangs. As she took off her glasses and gently brushed the leaf away, he grasped her hand before she could put her glasses on again.

He stared at her; the words he had wanted to say disappearing from his mind and his mouth going dry. _When did she become so beautiful?_ Her eyes remained the same—large, full of emotion—while the rest of her grew. She had let her hair grow long, curling at the ends below her chest. Her face had lost all traces of baby fat to show defined, yet soft, facial features, and not a single blemish marred her pale skin. All this she hid behind low pigtails and those thick-rimmed glasses she always wore. It was also a good thing that the required school uniform she wore was one size too big…

Though it wasn't her hidden outward beauty that had drawn him to her in the first place, it definitely played a part in making him realize how perfectly it matched her inward beauty. She was raised in a very traditional family. She was someone who was loyal to those she cared for, respectful to those around her, and hardly raised her voice at anyone. He wondered at times what her limits were, but then again, he never let anyone test it out because he would send them running for the hills if they ever tried.

She stared back at him and, in her soft voice, asked, "What's wrong?"

_ Everything—how I don't have the courage to tell you my feelings and how you can't seem to sense my feelings for you—is wrong._

When he heard a group of noisy girls approaching from the side, he let go of her hand and took the glasses from her. Opening up the frames, he put them on for her, concealing her large green eyes and drawing attention away from her delicate nose, her full, soft pink lips. He adjusted the frames and leaned back slightly, silently appreciating his finished task. _But I'm glad you have these…_

Dragging his line of sight back to her eyes, he uttered these selfish words:

"You look better with your glasses on, Sakura."

…_Because I don't want anyone else to see how much more beautiful you are without them._

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**_To be continued…_**

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- Author's Note (12.10.2010) -

Enjoyed it? I feel a bit embarrassed to be posting this story online. The idea popped into my head recently, and as I have had nothing to do, I decided to create a story out of it. Anyway, I would really like some feedback on this chapter, and hope to improve on whatever you think I should improve or to continue doing whatever it is that I'm doing.

{ Gloomy Bear }


	2. Chapter II: Reminisce

**- **Disclaimer -

CCS belongs to CLAMP. The title of this story is not related to anything outside of this story.

- Summary -

"You look better with your glasses on, Sakura." It was a complete lie. All he wanted was for him to be the only one to see her true self, and for her to look at him the way he looks at her. All she wanted was to be noticed by him. When the circumstances change, will their feelings and relationship remain the same?

- Recap -

_Dragging his line of sight back to her eyes, he uttered these selfish words:_

_"You look better with your glasses on, Sakura."_

**_…Because I don't want anyone else to see how much more beautiful you are without them._**

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**Only Look At Me**

Chapter II: Reminisce

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_Their eyes met in an intense gaze. He reached out to pull off her glasses with one hand and moved the other from their adjoined hands to slide up her arm and into her hair. Dropping her glasses, he pulled her by the waist against his solid, defined body, and lowered his head to seal her lips with his in a passionate kiss._

Sakura sighed. _If only…_

She shot Syaoran a discreet glance as he looked at her for a moment and then at their surroundings, seeming to forget that they were holding hands. _What's up with him?_

"What's wrong?"

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Their closeness and his intense gaze were starting to overwhelm to her. She couldn't help but fantasize about kissing those lips of his when they were sitting only mere inches apart. The shrill sound of the school bell cut into her thoughts.

Instead of fulfilling her fantasy or doing something even remotely close to it, he had blurted out, "You look better with your glasses on, Sakura," and left her behind.

She bit her bottom lip and her eyebrows knit together, thoughts of what had just happened replayed multiple times before she could begin to process it. _What was _that_ all about?_

Sakura sighed dejectedly as she watched him walk away. _Why?_

As she stood up, a group of noisy girls passed by her. She trailed behind them, not wanting to be noticed or late for class.

"Did you see Hiroto playing soccer _shirtless_ just now?"

"Oh my God, I did! He's _so _hot!"

Everyone else agreed enthusiastically.

"Why are you checking him out, Mariko? You have a boyfriend already!"

"Just because I have a boyfriend doesn't mean that I'm blind! Anyway, I heard that he's dating some girl in Tokyo."

"What! Really?"

"Seriously, Rei? You didn't know? They've been going out since the middle of summer break!" said Mariko as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "But don't worry, there are still a lot of single, hot guys in our grade: Ryohei, Kazuki, Shouta, Jun," she paused on her pinky finger, "…Who else?"

"Syaoran!"

"Oh! How could I forget Syaoran?" Mariko said incredulously. "After all, he _is_ the hottest of them all."

No one objected to that fact.

"He has a cute face, but what about his body? I've never seen him shirtless; even though I've watched him in every soccer match."

"Pfft, Nami, no one needs to see him shirtless to know that he has a hot body. Just look at that," she pointed out for everyone else to openly stare at the lower half of Syaoran's back, who was several metres ahead of them, "He's got a _nice_ ass."

Sakura's eyes widened. _Do they have no shame?_

"I'm surprised he doesn't have a girlfriend yet," commented Rei.

Another girl exclaimed, "Me too!"

"Isn't he going out with that quiet gir—"

"No way! Who is she?"

"Her name started with an 'S'… Sayuri?"

"The geeks' name is Sakura—"

"Have you seen her glasses? They're hideous!"

"I know, right? And her hairstyle! Does she still think it's the 70's?"

"Well, she's definitely _not_ going out with him. He's totally out of her league…if she's even in one."

They all burst out laughing at Mariko's comment as they entered the school.

Sakura slowed down and waited until they were out of sight before she opened the door for herself. _Is that what everyone thinks of me? _

…_Is that what _Syaoran_ thinks of me?_

. . .

"_You look better with your glasses on, Sakura."_

"_Have you seen her glasses? They're hideous!"_

Those two voices continued to echo in her head.

"Miss Kinomoto?"

Sakura was confused. _I thought everyone looked better without glasses… Is that his way of saying that I'm not pretty?_

"…Miss Kinomoto?"

Sakura snapped back to reality. "Yes?"

With a tinge of worry, her teacher asked, "Are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale."

Sakura knew she needed a few minutes to clear her thoughts or else she would continue to be distracted. "I don't feel so good. Can I go to the nurse's office?"

. . .

Seeing the nurse would've been pointless because she would've prescribed more sleep and more exercise in order to stay alert and focused during class. So Sakura decided to spend her time on the rooftop of the school. The view from the rooftop had its own unique beauty, and it would have been her and Syaoran's spot had it not been a hotspot for make-out sessions and whatnot.

Resting her chin atop her arms on the railing of the rooftop, she closed her eyes, feeling the wind play with her hair and kiss her cheeks.

_Syaoran…_ She almost sighed dreamily, had it not been for the sudden dull 'thud' against the back of the stairway door. There was another 'thud', followed by a lighter one right after, so Sakura ignored it. _Must be another person skipping class too. _Her original thoughts drifted in again, tuning out the background noise.

She didn't know when and how her feelings for Syaoran became romantic because they felt so natural; as if she had always liked—perhaps loved—him since she met him. She smiled as she recalled his appearance on their first encounter: he was this cute, little boy with an unruly brown mop atop his head and those fierce amber eyes he still possessed even to this day.

When had he transformed into the seventeen-year-old Syaoran she knew today? Her eyes opened, staring at a bird drifting through the blue sky. She really couldn't remember. They had been together since the age of eight, playing together and going to school together, while undergoing natural physical changes unknowingly. When you see someone almost every single day of your life, you don't notice the numerous minute changes that happen on a daily basis; you only notice the result of all those changes. Sakura definitely noticed the Syaoran now, more than ever before, who was starting to appear more masculine and defined in _many_ areas.

"_He's got a _nice_ ass." _

She covered her heated face with her hands. _Stop picturing, stop picturing…!_

She pulled out her cell phone to distract herself.

She knew that what set her apart from his admirers was that she didn't see him as a piece of meat, but as a human being who possessed a good and respectful character beneath his stoic and handsome countenance. He was kind, caring, and affectionate in his own way to those close to him. Above all, he was protective of those he cared for. Glad to be on the receiving end of all of this would be considered a complete understatement for Sakura.

But lately, she wondered if he saw her the way she saw him… or if he saw her as a hindrance to his social life; a plain girl with a curfew of 9 PM. He was involved in several athletic teams and clubs and was known for it. She, on the other hand, was involved in a couple academic clubs that were infamous for their members to have their noses buried in books all the time—which was true, but books had to be read in order to pursue her interest in biology.

Sakura sighed. _If only I had someone to talk to._ She then opened up her contacts list on her phone. She had made several friends through clubs, class, and a few through Syaoran, but none of them had been as compatible as she and _Tomoyo_ had been.

_Tomoyo. I wonder how she is._ Scrolling through her picture folder on her phone, she found her most favourite picture of them together. In it, both of them were smiling brightly, each holding an ice cream cone in their hands while sitting on a set of swings in Penguin Park.

They were second cousins through their mothers who were cousins. They had grown up together in the same neighbourhood. They had been best friends since they knew what being 'best friends' meant. _We were practically sisters_.

When Tomoyo told her through tear-filled eyes that her family was to move to France, Sakura's heart broke. This was her best friend; her closest friend in the whole wide world, with whom she spent time so frequently that she couldn't even remember a time when they weren't together.

After Tomoyo had moved to Paris with her ambitious parents, a part of Sakura's cheeriness along with her outgoing personality disappeared. They tried to keep in contact, calling each other whenever they could. But over the years, they had talked less and less because of the eight-hour time difference. When Sakura was in school, Tomoyo would be off school, and many other problems that came with communicating with an accommodation to time differences. Eventually, they only contacted each other during special occasions. They knew that the distance wasn't entirely to blame for because their lives were changing bit by bit as they grew up, ran in different social circles, and acquired different hobbies and pursued opposite interests.

It wasn't until Syaoran rescued her that day from those horrible bullies that she started to see that she had to move on and open herself up to new friendships; as a result, opening herself up to accept Syaoran as a best friend.

Unaware to Syaoran himself, he had this power to draw people to him despite his mean demeanor at times. He was a leader; any time Syaoran joined in a game during recess, all their other classmates would listen to and follow his demands. She remembered when their classmates used to fight over him, in order to have him on their team. Nostalgia flooded her senses for a moment.

She was grateful for Syaoran, but she really wanted another girl friend to talk to. Her attention drifted back to the picture of her and Tomoyo.

Sighing, she reluctantly parted from the view beyond the railings, flipping shut her phone, and headed back to the stairwell. _Time to go back to reality._

When she opened the door, she heard someone gasp in surprise and yell, "Sakura, watch out!"

The last thing she saw was a black and white blur flying at her face before she succumbed to darkness.

Her cell phone, which had slipped from her hands, fell to the floor. Her message tone went off a split second after, and a notification was displayed on the screen:

**1 New Message from Tomoyo Daidouji!**

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**_To be continued..._**

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- Author's Note (1.23.11) -

What did you think of this chapter? I felt that it was a lot of info to digest as I wanted to paint a better background for the characters. I started writing this chapter in Syaoran's perspective, but then decided on alternating between Syaoran and Sakura's perspectives (separate chapter for each person's point of view).

I hope this update answered most of your questions (e.g. age of Sakura and Syaoran and appearance of Tomoyo – all significant characters of CCS will appear in this story). As for the plot of this story, I will reveal it bit by bit (don't want you to be bored because of predictability – I find myself already knowing how an entire story will run its course when the plot is written in detail). Thanks for reading! I appreciate all of your comments and will gladly answer questions you have.

{ Gloomy Bear }


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